Custom WordPress Database Error

UPDATE 12/31: As of WordPress version 2.3.2, users can now easily replace their Database error using wp-content/db-error.php as their error template.

If you’re a longtime WordPress user, you’re probably aware of the Database Error page which rears its not so shiny face whenever your MySQL server decides to take a bathroom break. There’s no shame in enjoying the default error page which comes prepackaged with WordPress. It simple, effective, plain, did I say plain yet? Yes it’s plain.

After noticing that 5ThirtyOne was dead in the water due to server downtime, I decided the default error page had to go.

Fortunately, swapping the default is quite simple and something that I highly recommend to any and all WordPress users. There’s a certain sense of “professionalism” to WordPress sites which customize the smallest details to match their entire site through and through.

Where is the database error template served?

WordPress 2.0+ users can find the necessary lines to edit within ‘/wp-includes/wp-db.php’. Beginning immediately below line 307, paste the following:

For a hand-holding walk-through of each snippet of code, head on over to All Forces where Melvin breaks down the little stuff. The most important details should be recognizeable above: a) the path to your custom template titled dbase-error.php, and b) the email address that WordPress should notify in case of emergency.

A simple template to get you started

Once you’ve made the appropriate edits within wp-db.php, you can now move on to creating a suitable error page to match the look and feel of your site. Below I’ve shared a little sample of code to get you started. Feel free to download a physical copy of dbase-error.php for upload.

I’ve chosen to embed the CSS for the sake of convenience. If your error page begins to get a little disorganized, moving your stylesheet to an external source may be a more suitable route. Make note that all references to files within WordPress must be absolute paths.

Show me yours

Now that you have a clean canvas to work with, show me what your database error message will be. Being that errors are few and far between, I’ve pasted mine below:

Unfortunately, it seems that 5ThirtyOne is suffering from a database error which prevents this WordPress driven site from delivering the content which you so desperately seek.

Rest assured that the lemmings living within the servers are hastily working to restore the MySQL database making everyone – especially me – a little less irritated.

If I broke my own site on accident, I really didn’t mean to. Change is good though right?

Better safe than sorry. You never know. Besides, having a matching error page to boot is nice for those rainy days. Look at me. Today alone I purposely misconfigured WordPress just so the database error would display. How bad is that?

Very nice idea, Derek, and a clear explanation of what to do to turn on the custom error page. I especially like the idea of embedding the CSS – error pages I’ve had on a commercial site I once ran sometimes had difficulty finding stylesheets, although I see now that the path should have been hardcoded in there.

If you look at the Apple error pages they’re just delicious – don’t you think?

[…] With time to kill while waiting for the site to be fixed, I implemented something that had been listed in my “someday” list – customize the WordPress database error message and have the system send you an e-mail when your blog can’t connect to your database. I hate to admit it but I actually enjoyed the downtime as it taught me a lot as well as afforded me the time to play around with something I had long wanted to do. […]

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